Blood of the Demon

The real strengths of this series and this book in particular are the police procedural elements to it. Looking at the background of the author from her back jacket biography, it is no surprise that it reads a lot like a crime drama. Kara Gillian has a distinctive voice, as does Ryan and the other characters is the book. Much of the dialog between the characters reminds me of a rated R version of the show Castle. The chemistry and banter between them not only keeps you interested in them but also makes them feel like friends. The arcane elements of the book feels less like a sore thumb that sticks out but a normal tool and element of the world. It seems very natural that the arcane is part of the world as does the concept of portals between this world and the one that the demons are summoned from. Definitions given throughout this book even open things up to the possibility of other arcane elements as potentially existing. It is rather subdued though, more of a flavor in the world and not really the focus of the story. Blood of the Demon has a little bit for everybody. Mystery elements for the mystery lover, demon summoning for the urban fantasy lover and police procedural elements for the crime drama fan. It even revolves around a love triangle between three characters that is a subplot with similarities to the paranormal romance genre. Definitely a more adult book, it is an entrancing read and held my attention through the end. I would definitely give this one a 4.5 stars out of 5. Being a fan of the police procedural and the urban fantasy that might have colored my opinion, but in those aspects it really shone.

Diana Rowland brings us back into the world of demonology and police mystery with Blood of the Demon, the sequel to her very enjoyable Mark of the Demon featuring Beaulac, Louisiana homicide detective Kara Gillian. Kara has the power to summon demons from another realm to help her on hard to solve supernatural murder cases. Kara is recovering from being on leave after a month. She died and was brought back to life after working a very dangerous case involving a serial killer called the Symbol Man. Her dear aunt Tessa, who taught Kara to summon demons, lies in a coma, and it looks like she won't be coming out of it anytime soon. But life goes on for Kara and that means another murder to solve. Unfortunately this case deals with the death of a police officer she knows. Brian Roth is found dead at his house in what looks like to be suicide by his gun. This gruesome sight doesn't sit well with Kara not because of the way Brian killed himself or the note he left where he admits to killing his wife through kinky sex play gone wrong, but his essence, known better as his soul, is gone and has been violently ripped out of his body. This means someone has the power of the arcane, the ability to summon demons and use their powers for their own needs, just like Kara can. As Kara digs deeper, more bodies start piling up with missing essences. Included is Brian's wife Carol, who is also found murdered, her essence torn from her body. These killings are all connected in ghastly ways and it is up to Kara to stop this killer. Kara has more than a few friends to help her as backup. There's Special Agent Ryan Kristoff who worked with Kara before on the Symbol Man murders. Ryan knows about the arcane and what Kara is capable of. They also have established a friendship that Kara wouldn't mind taking to the next level. But Ryan doesn't give her any signs, so she keeps her feelings to herself. Ryan has transferred down to Beaulac along with his partner Zack Garner,who Kara fondly thinks of more as a California surfer then special agent. Zack also knows about Kara's powers and it seems Ryan has a secret ability, but isn't willing to share it with her. Not only does Kara have human support, but of another, more dangerous individual. His name is Rhyzkahl, a very powerful demon lord Kara summoned by mistake on her last case. Usually when a demon lord is summoned, the one who does the summoning doesn't survive. Rhyzkahl let Kara live and has built a connection with her. When they first met, she ended up having mind blowing sex with him, which allowed him into entering her dreams. For some reason Rhyzkahl still appears in her dreams, even though this connection was severed. Kara knows she shouldn't turn to Rhyzkahl for help, but he's the only one who can give her answers. Plus, she gets a thrill whenever she's with him. Unfortunately because Kara needs his help and he knows it, he wants something in return. Rhyzkahl wants her as his summoner, which is a kind of consort. H

Diana Rowland managed to outdo her debut novel in the Kara Gillian series. In Blood of the Demon, the story picks up about a month after the end of the first book. Once again, Kara is faced with the challenge of solving a series of murders that have an arcane signature while piecing together how the victims were all connected. At the same time, Kara is still an emotional reck (as Ryan puts it, needing to cry every other minute) from the results of the first book. One of which is that she is looking for a way to restore her Aunt Tessa to life. To assist in this Kara summons Rhyzkahl, the Demon lord who is very interested in Kara (whether for sex, some other reason, or both). Lord Rhyzkahl gives Kara the information she needs to help her aunt, but at the same time "asks" her to be become his summoner. To complicate matters even further, FBI agent Ryan Kristoff is back and although his intentions with Kara are unclear (friends, more than friends?), which also is causing Kara emotional grief, he makes it abundantly clear that he does not want her dealing with Lord Rhyzkahl. Interestingly, Kara finds out that all the demons seem to known Ryan, and they have a less than positive opinion of him. But in order to solve the murders that are occurring, put a stop to the murderer, and save her own life, Kara needs both help from Ryan and information from Rhyzkahl. Needless to say, this causes tension and sparks to fly between the three characters!! All in all, even though Kara is a bit emotional, I think it was understandable and only added to the chemistry and sexual tension between her and Ryan. I think that Diana Rowland has created a protagonist that is smart and witty, but most of all real. This makes the whole story that much more enjoyable! I cannot wait for the next book in the series and to finally get some answers about who or what Ryan is!!

This is the second book in the Kara Gillian series, the first being Mark of the Demon. I thought it was an exciting read, much like the first one, with excellent worldbuilding. Kara is a demon summoner and police detective, but lives a lonely and socially isolated life. The author did a great job of drawing me into Kara's world, and I loved the interactions between her and Lord Rhyzkahl, her learning more about the demon world and the ramifications of her interaction with it, and her growing relationship (maybe?)with Federal agent Ryan Kristoff. Can't wait for the third installment!

Beaulac, Louisiana's favorite homicide detective Kara Gillian is back in book two of the Kara Gillian series, and what a treat it is for readers! In this second book, which is perhaps even better than the first, Kara's just trying to be a good cop and a decent summoner of demons in the essence-absence of her aunt and mentor, Tessa, after dying...for a little while (courtesy of the demon Lord Rhyzkahl - the "little while" part, not the "dying") at the end of Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian, Book 1). When a fellow officer is found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after apparently confessing to the accidental murder of his wife, it takes one look from Kara's "other sight" to know that something is horribly wrong with the scene. The question is, could Kara's demon summoning possibly be the cause? As the bodies pile up and the plot rockets along at breakneck pace, this exquisite blend of taut cop thriller and unique urban fantasy fleshes out Kara Gillian's world in rich, layered tones, and with a deft hand, Diana Rowland pens a thoughtful, realistic background of police procedural that blends so sweetly with imaginative otherworldly creatures and mythos that the culmination of both far exceeds the sum of either part. At the core of all of this, of course, is Kara Gillian, and it is where both books truly shine. No leather-wearing, hog-riding, shotgun-toting badass heroine with a chip on her shoulder a mile wide here. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but the absence of such makes Kara Gillian stand out for her very normalcy. She's short, loves chocolate donuts way too much, can't hold a man, hell, can't even FIND one, and is so stressed lately that she's lost TOO much weight. Even her closest friends (all two of them) are concerned she's all elbows and knees and looking hauntingly exhausted as she plods her way through life just trying to keep her head above water. Of course, if dreams of Lord Rhyzkahl in all manner of delicious situations would give it a rest for a night, she might actually be able to get some sleep! She's sarcastic and tenacious, got an insecure streak a mile wide, and she definitely doesn't know it all. She makes bad choices, risky choices, and choices that she just has to make even if she'd rather not. And she's dedicated to her job, believes in right and wrong, and protects those she cares for in any way she can. She could be you. She could be me. She could be any of us, and that's what makes her so unique. She's flawed, and she's real, and she's fun to read. Kara is what makes Mark of the Demon and Blood of the Demon stand out head and shoulders above the plethora of urban fantasy series out there. She's memorable that way. The rest of the cast is back, as well, most notably FBI agent Ryan Kristoff (who for some reason I keep thinking of as "Nick" - no clue why - but I've had to edit this review twice just to change it), and the mix of endearing friendship and potential romantic tension between